Vallum ice cream1/1/2023 ![]() ![]() The woman running the gift shop was very knowledgeable and happy to share info with us. Other parts of the site are in ruins but fun to poke around in. The church is still operating today and has textiles and stained glass designed by William Morris in the 1880's. It also became a family home and the church was preserved. It was a Augustinian priory (kind of like a monastery) until being dissolved by Henry VIII in the 1530's. We hiked 1/2 mile south of our path to visit this priory built in 1166. On we trekked to a more clearly marked turn to Lanercost Priory. We had cobbled together our lunches from purchased sandwiches, chips (crisps), cookies and apples provided by earlier hostesses, granola bars, etc. We stopped to have lunch in the shadow of the wall. We were rewarded with a lovely chunk of the wall. We walked into Banks, took a brief detour to Lanercost but decided against this route and returned to our path. It continued to be a very enjoyable day to walk. Walking across the countryside, we were blessed with sunshine, a few clouds, but no rain. Dave and Carol picked up sandwiches for lunch and Robert got an ice cream at the tea room. There was an interpretative museum that was OK, but nothing that we haven't seen before. This site is partially excavated, but also became part of a home in the subsequent centuries. On we walked to Birdoswald, another Roman fort. We stopped to chat with a local Gilsland resident and his very cute Borders terrier named Buster. We crossed a modern bridge and climbed to see another milecastle. The river's course has shifted, so the stones are on dry land. We started by seeing a Roman bridge abutment built to cross the Irthing river outside of Gilsland. ![]() The fields of sheep and cows were again part of our route. Helen assured us that it was a true Cumbrian breakfast-eggs, sausage & bacon were all from local sources. What a lovely morning for a walk! Our breakfast was substantial and delicious, as we have come to expect. We left Howard Hill Farm about 9am, with the sun shining in a clear blue sky. Our trail guide said 8, but we added a couple of miles to visit Lanercost Priory. It was wonderful to walk around to the sounds of organ and the choir. As we entered, an Evensong service was being held. Built in 1133 by Augustinian priors, it is a lovely church. Our last stop on the sight-seeing tour was the cathedral. The castle was built in the 12th century and had stood the test of time. With all that raiding, there needed to be a safe place to hole up when needed. The city was under siege by various parties from time to time.įrom the museum, we visited Carlisle Castle. For about 300 years, this was truly a lawless place. Because this city is so close to Scotland and the borderlands, there is a long history of raiding back and forth between England and Scotland. The museum is more about the Carlisle area than just Hadrian's Wall, so we learned more of the history of this area. They did have some new interpretations and did a good job of providing context for the artifacts. We enjoyed the Roman exhibit since we had seen much of the same in the past few days. We started at the Tullie House Museum to see the Roman exhibit and the reivers exhibit. Our hostess was kind enough to let us check in early, so we dried off, had lunch with apples, granola bars and cookies, rested a bit, wished Indy a Happy Birthday and set off to explore the sights of Carlisle. It was a lovely walk, even in the rain.īy shortly after 1pm, we had made it to our destination for the night, Courtfield Guest House in Carlisle. Our route into Carlisle took us along the River Eden. Each time someone would put on a rain jacket or rain pants, the rain would stop for awhile. The rain came and went, but nothing too much. A box of snacks, with payment on the honor system. That means we made really good time! We came upon this Stall-on-the-Wall. We have left the wall behind too, so there are not a lot of stops for poking around. The scenery is nicely pastoral, but not the spectacular views from the crags. The track is through fields, but very flat. Rain is predicted, but the day started overcast, cool and dry. It was generous and delicious! We got underway about 9:40, being dropped off at Newtown by Wendy. Our breakfast was served at 8:30am, a bit later than our usual 7:30am. We all enjoyed the stay at Oakwood Park Hotel. ![]() The trail guide said 11 miles today, but our hostess dropped us off in Newtown, rather than Walton, to start our walk today. We walked around town to bring the total to 12 miles for the day. We walked 8.63 miles to arrive in Carlisle. ![]()
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